License management solution for central-management products

ABSTRACT

A license manager running on a central-management server receives a license request for licensing a managed node as a client of a central-management product running on a central-management server. The license manager proposes a solution involving applying respective licenses for plural distinct central-management products. In response to a unified command, implementing said solution.

BACKGROUND

Data centers and other large computer systems can have many computing resources of many different types such as stand-alone computers, blade systems, rack systems, partition-able complexes, and virtual machines. Central management can assist an administrator in managing such complex systems. However, different data centers have need for different management features; also different computing resources within a data center may have different needs for management features. Accordingly, a variety of management software products may be available “a la carte”; furthermore, an administrator is often able to choose which nodes are to receive the benefit of a particular management product and to what extent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures depict implementations/embodiments of the invention and not the invention itself.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a data center in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides for easing the burden of a computer administrator in managing the inter-dependencies among central-management products and their license policies. For example, if an administrator wishes to apply a license for central-management product A to a managed node, but product B is a pre-requisite, an embodiment of the present invention can propose a solution involving applying licenses for products A and B and, then, in response to an acceptance of the solution, apply the necessary licenses to the managed node. In this way, the administrator's intent can be ascertained and carried out using knowledge of sometimes complex and diverse policies. More complex examples are presented below.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a data center AP1 includes a central-management server 10 for managing managed nodes including managed servers 11, 12, and 13. Managed server 11 includes computing resources such as a power supply 15, cooling devices 17, a lights-out module 19, processors 21, communications devices 23, and computer-readable storage media 25.

Media 25 is encoded with software 27 including data and programs of computer-executable instructions. Software 27 interacts with the hardware of managed server 11 to define the functionality thereof. Tangibly embodied software 27 includes a hypervisor 30 supporting virtual machines 31 and 32; virtual machines 31 and 32 run respective workloads 33 and 34. In addition to managed servers 11-13 themselves, virtual machines 31 and 32 and lights-out-module 19 are managed nodes in that they are recognized as management clients by at least one central-management product running on central-management server 10.

Central-management server 10 manages managed nodes 11-13, 19, 31, and 32 via an in-band network 35 and an out-of-band network 37. Network 35 is “in-band” in that it is used for data transfers between workloads located on different managed servers; network 37 is an “out-of-band” network in that it is not normally used for transferring data among workloads, but is dedicated to a management function, in this case, managing power consumption via light-out modules, e.g., lights-out module 19.

Central-management server 10 includes processors 41, communications devices 43, and computer-readable storage media 45. Media 45 is encoded with software 47 tangibly embodied therein. Software 47 interacts with the hardware of central-management server 10 to define the functionality thereof. Software 47 includes data and programs of computer-executable instructions such as an operating system 49, a central manager 51, a virtual-machine manager 53, a workload manager 55, a power manager 57, a license manager 60, license expertise 61, license policies 63, and one or more license solutions 65. Note that some or all of software 27 and 47 can be provided in tangible form on a manufacture in the form of computer-readable media such as a hard disk.

Central manager 51 provides for basic central management functionality for managed hardware servers 11-13. Virtual-machine manager 53 extends management functions to virtual machines and their hosts. Workload manager 55 is directed to allocating computing resources to workloads, e.g., based on expected demand. Power manager 57 is directed to managing power, recognizing lights-out modules, such as lights-out-module 19 as clients.

Some workloads vary considerably over time in the amount of computing resources they consume. Accordingly, power consumption can often be reduced when such workloads are inactive. To take advantage of possible energy savings, an administrator attempts to apply a license for power manager 57 to the node on which workload 33 runs, in this case, virtual machine 31. However, license policies 63 specify that power manager 57 only accepts lights-out modules as clients. Instead of refusing a request to apply power manager 57 to virtual machine 31 or returning some sort of error message, license manager 60 returns a solution 65.

License manager 60 generates a solution by interacting with license expertise 61, which includes an expert system and knowledge base directed to license dependencies. Expertise 61 specifies that workload manager 56 can only manage a virtual machine if the virtual-machine host (in this case, server 11) is licensed as a client for workload manager 56. In addition, workload manager 56 can only affect power consumption if a connected lights-out-module is licensed as a client of power manager 57. Expertise 61 can propose: licensing managed server 11 as a client for workload manager 55 and virtual machine manager 53, and licensing lights-out-module 19 as a client of power manager 57. This proposed solution 65, if implemented, would allow management of virtual machine 31 to control power consumption. This proposed solution 65 can be presented to administrator 70, e.g., via a console connected to central management server 10 via network 35.

A method ME1 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, flow-charted in FIG. 2, includes a method segment M1 of an administrator making and a license manager running on a central-management server receiving a license request. In this the request requires a multi-license solution. By “multi-license” is meant that distinct licenses for distinct central-management products are required. By “distinct” is meant that this condition is not met by two identical licenses that cover a pair of central-management products.

At method segment M2, the license manager generates and presents to an administrator a proposed multi-license solution. This can involve presenting a textual description of the solution on a display viewed by the administrator. This method segment involves performing any substeps required to arrive at the solution. For example, the substeps can involve accessing an expert system and knowledge base. In an alternative mode, the solution is implemented automatically without requiring an intervening acceptance by the administrator.

At method segment M3, if the proposal is accepted, the license manager implements the proposed solution. Acceptance can occur when the administrator indicates approval by interacting with the console on which the proposed solution was presented. If the interaction yields an implement command, the license manager can involve associating license keys with the proposed respective managed nodes in a local license database. The implementation command can be unified in that only one command is required for multiple licenses to be assigned. Herein, “unified” does not preclude issuing the command and then confirming the command.

The administrator would simply need to add all keys received from the vendor into the license manager, select a product (or solution level product (e.g. one that depends on others), select system(s), click on a control to begin license assignment, wait for a confirmation screen, and then click to make it so. This requires one administrative action for all products across the solution stack that has dependencies and varying policies. Method ME1 can also allow for the administrator to select multiple product licenses at once for assignment and then carry out the administrator's intent.

To make this work, a central-management product defines its license policy, while the license manager “understands” and interprets the various policies. Different products can require different licenses with different policies. For example, the different licenses may involve different compute units (e.g. per-core versus per-processor licensing) or, dependent products that need to be licensed, etc. Such definitions are accomplished with something like an extended markup language (xml) file format that could be registered with the license manager. The registration can occur when the product is installed or configured.

After target nodes are selected, the user is asked what products are to be licensed for the selected nodes. The user can then click a control to begin assignment. In response, the internal implementation examines the defined policies for the product license type and examine characteristics of the selected systems. This analysis focuses in determining all the licenses that need to be applied to make the “solution” operational, the correct number of licenses to apply, and the proper managed node type to apply all the licenses on. After analysis, the user is presented with a report that indicates what needs/should be done to get everything properly licensed and a button to make it so (or commit the report). The report provides details, such as the following:

1) another key type needs to be purchased, if not already purchased, and added to resolve a dependent product;

2) the license manager cannot automatically apply the license or that a manual step (which is better than nothing) may be required;

3) other license types will also be applied to selected nodes to license the solution and dependencies;

4) licenses applied may be to varying node types and not just the nodes initially selected; and

5) the user may be invited to adjust the license parameter values before committing.

A vendor-specific (Hewlett-Packard Company) embodiment is described next. A data-center administrator wants to manage a given virtual machine (VM) with Hewlett-Packard Insight Dynamics-Virtual Server Environment (ID-VSE); it is assumed that the administrator has already entered all license keys received from Hewlett-Packard (HP). The administrator enters the license manager, selects the ID-VSE product or capability, and selects “assign licenses”. The administrator selects the VM as the target, and then proceeds with assigning the license. Also, an administrator can select multiple products at once and the license manager determines what is needed for the two distinct selections (vs. a solution stack model). Alternatively, the administrator can select the product to be licensed and then the license targets.

Internal analysis and results report the following: 1) ID-VSE is licensed per VM host and thus an ID-VSE license will be applied to the respective host system. 2) ID-VSE requires an Insight Control Environment (ICE) license and one of those will also be applied to the VM HOST. 3) An iLO license is also required by HP-ID for advanced power capabilities within Insight Power Manager, which is licensed by the ICE license; the administrator would be instructed to ensure the iLO has a key entered and this assignment will then attempt to collect the info from the VM host's iLO (not the VM) and apply to enable functionality on the central-management server (CMS). 4) The VM selected is within a VM host that is a c-class blade. A virtual connect enterprise manager (VCEM) license is required for blades. VCEM licensing is enclosure-based and thus a license will be applied to the blade enclosure. 5) The administrator then clicks on the confirm button and the reported analysis is applied and committed.

Herein, related art is described to facilitate understanding of the invention. Related art labeled “prior art” is admitted prior art; related art not labeled “prior art” is not admitted prior art. Alternative embodiments provide for various types of license dependencies including prerequisites and feature-enabling licenses. These and other variations upon and modifications to the illustrated embodiments are provided by the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims 

What is claimed is:
 1. A license-management method comprising: running a license manager on hardware of a central-management server; submitting to said license manager a license request for licensing a managed node as a client of a central-management product on said central-management server; proposing by said license manager a solution involving applying respective licenses for plural distinct central-management products; and in response to an acceptance of said proposal, applying said licenses.
 2. A license-management method as recited in claim 1 wherein said implementing involves communications between said central-management server and said managed node over a network.
 3. A license-management method as recited in claim 1 wherein: said request specifies a requested managed node, and said solution involves applying a license to another managed node.
 4. A license-management method as recited in claim 3 wherein said solution does not involve applying a license to said requested managed node.
 5. A license-management method as recited in claim 1 wherein: said request specifies a requested central-management product running on said central-management server; and said solution involves licensing another central-management product running on said central management server.
 6. A license-management system comprising non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media encoded with a license manager program containing instructions executable by a processor of a central management server, said program being configured to, when executed by said processor, perform the acts of: responding to a request to apply a central-management product to a first managed node by generating a solution involving applying respective licenses for plural distinct license management products to managed nodes managed by said central-management server; and responding to an acceptance of said solution by applying said licenses.
 7. A license-management system as recited in claim 6 further comprising said central-management server.
 8. A license-management system as recited in claim 6 wherein said request specifies said first managed node and said solution involves applying a license to a second managed node.
 9. A license-management system as recited in claim 8 wherein said solution does not involve applying a license to said first managed node.
 10. A license-management system as recited in claim 6 wherein said request specifies a requested system management product running on said central-management server and said solution involves licensing another central-management product running on said central management server.
 11. A license-management system as recited in claim 6 wherein said applying includes applying a first license and a second license, said first license being for a first product and based on a first compute unit, said second license being for a second product and based on a second compute unit different from said first compute unit. 